Good Luck
by remembrtherain
Summary: An account of Bella and Edward's meeting and falling in love. Bella-still meek and clumsy, except when she's on stage. Edward-heart throb, REALLY noticing Bella for the first time when he sees her perform. OOC AU/AH
1. Closing

_Hi Everyone, this is my first attempt at fan fic...ever, but I read a lot of it, so, I figured it was just a matter of time. :)_

_Please be nice, I wrote this kind of late, and I want everyone to like it!  
Its partially based off of true events that just happen to take place in the world of Twilight (of which I do not own...boo.)  
Enjoy and let me know what you think... I'll deff have more chapters. I kind of really like it :)_

* * *

Edward  
His eyes bore right through her. Stared into her very depths only to find what was missing in himself. How could one person make him so complete? He couldn't comprehend. He wanted to be with her forever; to claim her as his own, never wanting this moment to end.

Bella  
She saw him in the front row and knew that this was it. The one she gushed over so many times in so many different ways--here tonight, staring at her. She stared back. It wasn't proper, but she could only see the first few rows beyond the lights. She'd rather stare at him than the darkness. The diamond-like twinkle in his emerald eyes kept her reeling during the entire performance. She walked into the wings gasping for air, gasping for more of his infinite gaze. Was he just now realizing her? Was he finally taking notice of an otherwise invisible, run of the mill, been-there-all-your-life, taken for granted girl?

_Odd_, she thought. _Amazing, but odd.  
_  
Edward  
This girl, she trips over herself in the hallways, drops things. He's seen her, witnessed it, even helped her on occasion and yet here, on stage in front of a packed house of theater goers, she was confident and strong and wildly talented. He had never seen her perform before. Her friends, so proud of her accomplishment of 10 community shows in two years, posted flyers all over school about her newest role. As Arthur Miller is a favorite of his, he took a flyer and his brother and went. Though he complained through the first five minutes Em was quiet now. He's either asleep or really enjoying himself.

Bella  
_Intermission_, she breathed, slightly hitched. Everyone stared in awe of how she worked her character, if only they knew the real reason for her flushed appearance. She didn't dare lead anyone to ask questions, she walked away from her fellow actors and friends and made her way down a dark corridor where she could be alone and settle herself for act two and the end of show number 10.

"Bells?" someone called. "Bells are you back here? Act two is starting soon, but the cast has something for you."

She sighed. Jacob. Her best friend. Her rock. Her go to guy. How could she get through a day without him? She couldn't. It was physically impossible. From kindergarten to tenth grade, they were together, amigos, partners in crime, and lifelong friends. That's just the way it was.

"I'll be there in a sec. Just pulling myself together." You could almost hear the tense smile in her voice as she walked from the darkness.

As usual, Jacob knew things weren't right. He grabbed her hand and brought her back to the darkness.

"What's wrong?" He asked, pulling her close to rest his chin on her tightly pulled back hair.

"He's here." she whispered. "He's here and he's sitting in the front row and staring at me and I'm staring back and I'm just so happy and nervous and worried." She said all of this in one whispered breath, and then added, "What if he doesn't like me? What if he thinks it's lame and dorky? Then what?"

"Just be glad he's here. He has no right to call what you do lame, none. He's staring because when you step onto that stage, no one can take their eyes off you. It's that simple." He hugged her tightly and dragged her to the green room where there was a ceiling full of balloons and a cast full of smiles, cameras, and cake.

She couldn't help but smile. Everyone she loved was standing in this room with her. Including, as she scanned the sea of faces, Renee and Charlie, who seemed to have supplied the cake.

"I'm speechless guys. I love you all. I really mean it. Every one of you." She smiled warmly around the room and took a seat and a bottle of water, deciding to hold off on cake until after the show.

"Im calling places in five!" Jacob yelled, back in full fledged Stage Manager mode. He bent down close to her and, almost whispering, said, "There's a piece of cake for you by your dressing table. Corner piece, vanilla with chocolate frosting and a purple flower." he kissed her hair. "Enjoy the last act of show number 10."

"Thanks Jake, you're the best." She smiled. But by the time she looked up, he disappeared. The show must go on, she thought. She downed a water bottle, and went to go fix her makeup when she heard Jacob through the squawk box next to her table.

"Places for act two. I'm calling places." Muffled and crackly, yet all the same, places was called so she ran to the stage without a second glance.

The curtain opened and here we were again.

Edward  
The lights came up and all he could do was stare at where she had last bore her soul to the waiting audience. He was still trying to comprehend what he was feeling. Next to him, Em was a massive lump.

_Asleep_, Edward thought._ Just great. At least he isn't snoring._ As he was thinking this, he kicked Em's shin, causing him to stir and rub a massive fist in his eye trying to discern where the blow came from.

"Little bro. Can we leave now? I'm over this." Emmett said, his voice still hoarse from sleep. He stretched and stood up.

"Emmett. I have a job for you." Edward said, milling it over in his mind for a few seconds before actually divulging. "Can you go to the flower stand by the house and pick up a dozen pink and yellow roses?" He asked, still in a bubble of suspended reality. He threw a fifty toward Emmett.

"The house is so far off." Emmett yawned. "I won't make it back before...OH, okay. I'll do it." He realized that he would be gone for the rest of the show. He took Edward's fifty and held his hand out for the car key. "Why roses? Trying to impress someone?" He asked, elbowing Edward back to reality.

"Just do it. I really need them." Edward said quietly as he pinched the bridge of his nose with one hand, giving Emmett the car keys with the other and leaning his head back over the seat.

"No prob dude, just try to take it easy?" Emmett said, not knowing what was wrong with his brother. He shrugged it off and headed for the back of the auditorium.

Emmett  
"Don't forget your ticket, sir." A metallic voice called.

Em turned around to say something very sarcastic when he glanced at the usher holding the door the remark got caught in his throat.

"You won't be allowed into the theater again without your ticket." She smiled. Emmett was now staring. He knew he was but it didn't matter. She looked at him and blushed. He thought about it and realized that he knew her. He'd seen her before. _But where?_

He leaned in close, resting his arm on the door above her. "Do I know you?" He asked, whispering.

She blushed again. "Emmett Cullen, we've been in the same grade, in the same homeroom since kindergarten." She seemed surprised that she let that much escape her. She stiffened and turned away from him.

Stepping back, confused, he walked toward the exit of the building, throwing his ticket in the recycle bin just outside the door. _I'm sure I won't need this,_ he thought.


	2. The Final Curtain

_Hey all. Thanks for reading! Chapter two is now done. I just wanted to say sorry for jumping from third-person to first-person. I felt like I was done with first person. I just used it to show some more overview, but now I'm getting into detail so, the rest of the story is going to be written in first-person. _

_Also, I know it's going kind of slow right now, but it will pick up, I promise! :)_

_Enjoy!  
PS: I don't own any of this.. Arthur Miller, The Crucible or Twilight. sadly. _

* * *

Edward  
The show went on. It seemed that Bella was talking directly to Edward. The pain that Abigail Williams felt for her John Proctor made Edward wish he could comfort her. Wipe the tears from her eyes and make it okay. No one consoled her. No one helped her and he watched her run away from the one she loved. He watched As her John Proctor reclaimed his name as his own, he turned his back on the world and for this, he was hanged.

Edward never felt such pain for any fiction. This Abigail wrenched at his heart and he saw Bella's sorrow mix with her character. Two sets of emotion mixed as a whole. He fully discerned the person from the character and his heart wrenched even deeper.

The curtain fell and Edward all but forgot about being in a room packed with people. He stood and clapped, and others followed suit. The curtain reopened and people filed out in ones and twos. Behind Edward, Emmett bounded down the isle his shirt a little disheveled but carrying roses. He clapped Edward on the shoulder and smiled.

"Thanks man, I owe you one." Edward said. Glancing at Emmett for the briefest of seconds.

"No, thank you bro. This was awesome." Emmett was smirking, but Edward couldn't tell because he knew Bella would be out next, his eyes trained on the curtain.

She walked out already carrying flowers. She was a little misty eyed but smiling all the same. She inched herself to the edge of the stage, waved, and bowed deeply. Edward's emeralds caught her in mid-bow and she stopped. He thrust the roses toward her and clapped the loudest. Tears poured from her face then and he didn't know what to do. She had looked so blissful just seconds ago but now she was all but sobbing in front of a standing audience. She waved one more time and lead the cast off.

_Embarrassing._ What had he done? He ruined the show for her. Her closing show. He sat back down, his face in his hands as the crowd started for the lobby. He had to fix it, there was no other option.

Jacob  
So this was it. He brought her flowers. His eyes followed her from one end of the stage to the next. I was speechless. He was totally falling for her; or was he falling for Abigail? It was hard to tell at this point, but Bella had already fallen for him. She practically eye-fucked the shit out of him every time she spoke and he was loving it.

I've sat by Bella's side on 90 percent of the occasions when she obsessed over Edward Cullen. She had this problem with spilling her guts to me, even the stuff I didn't want to know about. Our relationship never progressed to the point of dating, although, if you didn't know us any better, you'd think twice. We had that conversation many times and decided against it. We loved each other too much to fuck it up with dating. It was mutual. And besides, Leah and I had a good thing going--for a few years now. But sometimes I worried about Bella. She talked of Edward like he was some sort of prize. She wanted to win him over but had no clue how. She knew very little about him even though we've been in school together for eleven years. We grew up in different circles, different sides of the highway. So, you could tell why Edward Cullen wasn't on my favorite person list. He never gave her the time of day or night. Never paid her a second glance, but tonight was something different.

I took it upon myself, along with Leah to plaster posters of the show all over school. I took extra care to shove one in the slot of Edward's locker. Maybe he would come. And then what?

I snapped back to reality to find Edward handing Bella the flowers his brother just brought. He made her cry. She looked confused. She waved and ran off stage and I caught her letting her tears spill onto my black t-shirt. Smudging the make-up off of her face and onto me.

"End music." I said into my headset as I pulled it off. I kissed her hair as she cried. I ripped the rubber bands and pins out of her head--they looked sort of painful. Her hair spilled down and she looked up at me.

"He liked me. He came and he watched and he gave me these." She sob-whispered as she held out the flowers that were crushed between us.

"I know bells, I saw."

"I hope he'll stick around. He probably won't though. He probably has other things to do." She said as I walked her to her dressing table.

"Get changed and meet me around front, we have some celebrating to do." I told her and turned to give her some privacy.

I walked into the house and called to Jay in the lighting booth, "Hey bro, you can leave that for tomorrow. Let's go out." He gave me a thumbs up and jumped over the balcony, grabbing a pole and sliding down. We high fived and I told him to meet us at the diner. I turned around to hit the lights, only to find Cullen sitting by himself, looking like he was arguing with some sort of invisible foe. I decided to be nice and say thanks, for Bella's sake anyway.

"She was really glad that you came." I said as I rested my weight onto the stage, arms crossed over my chest. He looked up, a little taken aback. "Bella I mean." _Just to clarify._ I stuck out my hand. "Jacob Black." I said, not knowing if he recognized me from eleven years of classes.

"I know you." He told me, his voice a little pained as he shook my hand. "The two of you have been together since the start." He said with a weak smile. "Edward Cullen." As he dropped my hand.

"I know you too."

I knew it wasn't my place to interfere with the serendipity-kismet type thing, but I told him, "Stay here for a minute, I'll be right back." I leapt on stage in one stride and ran to intercept Bella before she made it to the stage door.

To be honest, I did it because I was tired of hearing about the amorous Edward Cullen. Someone needed to play Cupid, and a six-foot-four-inch kid with a pony tail was meant to do it. I was meant to do this for her. I hope I do it right.

Bella_  
He came. I couldn't believe that. Not only did he come, he brought flowers. For me. How was the even possible. He stared at me all night, I stared back. That smile. Those eyes. Oh, those eyes. _

The thoughts running through my head were getting louder and louder as I got changed in silence. I could hear the rest of the cast cheering and having a good time, knowing that the show was done. I would normally be rowdy with them, but, there were other things on my mind.

I zipped up my garment bag, all ready to go back to the armory and sat at my table. I wiped what was left of the caked-on make-up off of my face and realized that I was still crying. Silent tears were still rolling down my face. Now would be as good a time as any to eat that cake Jake saved me. I pulled it closer and ate the flower first. He knew me so well, it was amazing. I ate it fairly quick, realizing just now how hungry I was. I heard the voices die down to a select few and I heard someone running through the hall. Sound echoed off the windowless hallways and dressing rooms fairly easily.

"Shit." I heard Jake mutter.

"Jake?" I called, throwing my plate into the garbage. "I'm almost ready to go. Let me just get my bag." I threw my ipod, lip gloss, car keys and cell phone into my bag along with the flowers: both from Andrew, the director and Edward, and opened the door only to run head on into Jacob. He stood there, with a dopy grin, it took up the entire bottom half of his face. Every tooth showing. "Sorry Jake." I said, but he just grabbed me into a huge bear hug that crushed my ribs. "Jake--" I spat, trying to catch my breath, "Jake, you promised."

"Bells, I have a surprise for you. I don't know if you're going to like it, but, think of it as a gift from me to you. Something to help commemorate show number ten." He was getting nervous; he just kept talking. I shut him up with my hand over his mouth, and he just grabbed it and pulled me onto the stage. The curtain was closed, but there was a spotlight on. He put me to the center of it and told me not to move.

_I look terrible,_ I thought as I was standing there not moving._ Maybe I should run home before the cast party. Change into something nicer, take a shower. It may be beneficial to everyone's health. I could get a sweater too, it's probably cold out--_

My thoughts were cut off as the curtain opened and there, standing on the other side was none other than Edward Cullen.

I looked over to the wings and saw that Jake has mysteriously vanished. Here I was looking like a wreck and here he was looking perfect, par usual. What to do?

He looked at me with a fierce glint in his eye, but spoke very timidly. "Hi." he said.

"Hi." I said back.


	3. The Small Talk Game

_I just cant help but update I guess.  
This chapter is Edward and Bella, but stay tuned for an Emmett chapter. then maybe even a Jacob/Leah chapter. oh man, the plans I have for this story... :D  
Also, still no reviews, but, I'm cool with that. as long as your reading, that's fine by me.  
Enjoy!_

* * *

Edward  
This was totally fucking awkward. I made a mental note to punch Jacob Black for this. She looked even more beautiful without the makeup and the hair. Natural beauty was hard to come by these days, she looked flawless, except for the pain in her eyes.

I didn't know what to say, so, "Hi" had to suffice.

She was a little skeptical in her return, but, "Hi" escaped her lips as well.

"You were really wonderful tonight." I told her, curious as to where my courage was coming from. "Would you mind an autograph?" I smiled, as I fished a pen out from my pocket.

She wouldn't look at me and I pleaded with my eyes for her to catch my gaze. She looked up and saw that I had my program and a pen--I was for real. The blush that over came her made me hold back a gasp. If possible, it made her even more breath taking. She snapped back into focus and fumbled with her bag. I leapt onto the stage to take it from her before she could drop it. "Its Edward Cullen, with two 'L's." I joked. She smiled as she wrote, thinking my joke was funny. I smiled also.

She handed back my program and had finally found her voice. "What are you doing here?" she asked me. And the second the words left her, I could tell she wanted to take them back.

I laughed and told her, "Arthur Miller is one of my favorites. I couldn't pass this up." _At least it was the truth._

"No, I mean what are you doing here, now. With me?" She was looking at me, but this time, I was the one looking away.

"Oh, I'm not sure. Your buddy saw me after the show and told me to wait here." I shrugged.

The awkward silence lasted about two minutes.

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself Edward Cullen with two 'L's. " she said as she took her bag and headed for the stairs. She was walking away and I didn't know what to do. I blurted out the first logical thought that popped into my head. The only complete sentence. "What are you doing right now?" I asked as I slid closer to where she was standing.

"Well there's a cast party right now at the diner off of Main." She told me as she inched closer, closing the gap between us.

_What's going on?_ I thought. _Are we flirting? I was usually so good at this, but this seemed to be a horse of a different color._

She was going out though. I gave her a little smile, "Of course. Closing night." How dumb did that make me?

I was usually so good at this. I've never met anyone who made me fumble over myself. I felt almost helpless. Without even a second glance I turned to leave but her cool, slender hand caught me around the wrist. When I turned to look at her, she was staring at a knot on the ancient wood stage, running circles over it with her foot, her hand still around me.

"You know," she said, her eyebrows scrunching, as if she were thinking of exactly the right words to say. "You could come if you had an invite. I _am_ the guest of honor. The owner of the theater is going to be there. If you aren't busy or anything." She looked at me then, almost pleading, just like I had done earlier. There was also a glint of sadness in her eye, buried behind it all. She didn't want to go to this alone. She needed someone. I could almost tell.

I twisted my wrist from her grip and slid it down to join our hands together. "I would be honored to join you." I told her, making sure she knew how glad I was to be invited.

Bella  
_What had I just done? What just happened? Why am I holding hands with Edward Cullen?_ My mind swirled and reminded me of a lava lamp. I couldn't comprehend. We walked out of the deserted theater holding hands, I saw a note with my name on it taped to the door. I blushed slightly as I took it down.

_Bells,_

_See ya at the diner. Hope you enjoy my gift. I worked really hard on it._

--Jake and his sarcasm--

Y_ou really have to make an appearance tonight. Bring the candy._

_XOXOX_

_Jake_

_Ps: shut the light behind you, keys are in the flyer box. See ya in a few._

I smiled as I put the letter in my bag.

"What is it?" Edward asked. _Edward Cullen is standing right next to me holding my hand. Jake just called Edward Cullen __**candy.**_ How did he figure that we would be together? I'd have to ask him after I hit him. You don't just leave your best friend hanging like that. That's totally uncool, even for Jake.

Edward followed me as I dipped my hand in the flyer box and pulled out the keys. He said nothing, but I could tell he was staring. I felt him trying to burn two holes through the back of my head, which made it extremely difficult to concentrate and I fumbled with the keys a few times. It was even harder because I only had one hand. It felt like someone put Tacky Glue on my other hand as it stuck to Edward's. They fit together so nicely. No awkward knuckles or bones. Like it was supposed to happen.

After I finally got the door locked, I walked toward my truck as Edward walked toward his Volvo. They were across the deserted lot and there was the problem. As tacky as the glue was, it wouldn't span the parking lot.

"I can follow you I guess." he told me, bringing his free hand to the nape behind his neck. He stretched his middle and his button down shirt came up a little bit. I glanced down just as I saw a line form around his hip bone. It looked like one side of a perfect 'V'. _His eyes are not down there, Bella._ I told myself, forcing my glance upward.

Where the courage was coming from, I didn't know, but I looked at his car and told him, "We can go in your car if you want. Jake can drive me home. It's no big deal." He nearly pulled me to his car, opening the passenger side door for me. I slid in, tripping over my flip flop. He caught me, of course, gently releasing his grip from my waist. The hand that was in mine was a little more reluctant to move. Tacky glue or not, we forced our hands apart, mine now cold from where his engulfed it. He made sure I was all in and shut the door. Taking his time to walk around the car.

He slid in and started it up. I decided that small talk was in order. We couldn't sit in awkward silence, we had already been there. "Are you excited that school's just about done for the summer?" I asked, knowing that we had a week left.

"Yeah, I am." He said. I could hear him smiling as he talked. "I don't really do much in the summer, so, me and the guys usually get a game of baseball or something going. What about you?"

He knew how to play the Small Talk Game. "I'm excited. I'm working at the theater this summer. A sort of make-shift summer camp for kids interested in the arts. Andrew and I are running it. It's going to be fun, but we're a little short handed. Jake, Leah, Rosalie and some of the guys from the show are working too, but we need some more help. I was hoping that the flyers around school would get people interested, but I don't know. The enrollment list was packed and we couldn't turn kids away. Its not fair." I rambled on. I had to stop, but he seemed genuinely interested.

"That sounds like fun. Is it just a theater camp or all types of art?" He was a pro at the Small Talk Game. Who knew?

"We're trying to get more than just theater. Andrew is going to run Musical Theater, I'm running Acting, Jake is running Tech, Rose is running Dance, Leah is running Drawing, but we had a few kids that wanted to take music classes. I was thinking about talking to Dr. Silver at school, you know, the music teacher. I've only had him once, but maybe he could help."

Edward chuckled at my words, which made me sort of uneasy. "Mr. Silver is the oldest teacher in the school. I'm surprised he can still hear the notes that we play." He slowed his driving down as I looked out the window. "Uh, I don't want to change the subject or anything, but, I have no clue where I'm going." He seemed to be enjoying his time in the car. I didn't really get why, but I pointed him.

"Turn right here. It's just down the road." I said, but then I wondered. "Have you ever been to this part of town before?"

His face was suddenly set and his voice strained a little. "No, I don't think I have. The furthest I've been in the theater I guess." He sounded sorry about that.

"Park here." I said as we pulled next to Charlie's cruiser. "And don't worry about it. It's not like, _the wrong side of the tracks_ or anything, I was just wondering." I smiled and put my hand on his as he moved the gear shift to park. He looked at me and his eyes consumed me. I couldn't look anywhere else. Just at him. Just into those eyes. He shifted toward me and his left hand swept a few strands of hair back behind my ear. He brought his hand back over my cheek and lightly brushed it over my lips before he released my gaze. _Did he just hypnotize me? What just happened? Edward Cullen? _My mind took the consistency of lava lamp again as he rushed to the other side of the car to open the door for me.

He took my hand and pulled me out. I took my phone and my wallet from my bag and threw it back into his car. He shut the door behind me and the gap between us was virtually nonexistent. He picked up my hand in his and brushed it hand against his cheek. He was so warm against my skin. I was at a loss for words._ What were we just talking about? Where are we? Where are we going? Edward Cullen?_ The lava lamp moved slowly, its neon catching the light. Edward's slight tug brought me back. He was walking and I wasn't. _How does he keep doing that? He has some sort of power. I know it._

Between the confidence I had and the neon goo in my head, I was spinning as we walked into the diner. Jake and Leah were in a corner booth with a few of our friends. Renee and Charlie were sitting together, rather awkwardly with Sal Evans (the owner of the theater), Andrew and his girlfriend were sitting with the rest of the cast and Rosalie was sitting with--no, I couldn't believe it, the other Cullen? How was that possible?

Before I could think anymore, the entire diner started clapping. I looked around to see what the noise was about when Jake mouthed to me, **YOU**. I felt myself turn red and I did the only logical thing I could think of at the time. I buried my face in Edward's shoulder.


End file.
